See Chapter 1 for info & warnings
Author's Note: I think we've all earned some mindless smut, yes? Don't worry, there's plot at the end too.
Theo was anxious. He had even gone so far as to go to Morena in the kitchens for
some of her tea that always eased his sleep, but the more time that passed
without spending any time behind closed doors with the king... Had he been
disappointing? Was Uther frustrated with having to deal with someone who
possessed so little skill? So little experience. The young man swallowed and
felt the sting of foolish tears. /He will like you even less if you act like a
child,/ he chastened himself before trying to focus on the clothing in the
armoire that he'd been ordered to set to rights. Many of the king's outfits
contained therein had not been worn in years, and some were so riddled with moth
holes that they were only good for scrapping in the hopes that bits of the
fabric might be of use.
There came a knock at the door and, from the other side, one of the guards
announced, "The king wishes to see you. He does not want to be kept waiting."
In his chambers, Uther sat in a high backed chair staring out of one of the
stained glass windows. It was open, and a cool autumn breeze wafted into the
room. His brow was furrowed, heavy with concern over how things were going
between Arthur and Sir Robert. Stress had left tension in his shoulders, and the
only thing that would alleviate it-short of his son returning with good
news-was to spend some time with Theoden.
Theo approached his master's door with his heart pounding and his palms
sweating. It was as if somehow the king had heard his thoughts... or simply been
aching for more just as much as he had been himself. He let himself in as had
become customary and bowed his head at the sight of the king despite the fact
that the man couldn't see him with his back turned. "Sire? You called for me?"
The boy felt it was no small victory that his voice remained steady if soft and
trembled not at all though his body did at the thought of what had happened the
last time he was alone with Uther in the man's quarters.
Uther gazed at Theoden for a long moment, drinking in the boy's lovely and
tempting form. He licked his bottom lip, motioning Theoden forward with only a
twitch of his fingers. Once the boy was within touching distance, Uther reached
out and, with a suddenness that was sure to have taken Theoden off guard,
dragged him into his lap. The king planted a punishing kiss upon those soft,
sensual lips, driving his tongue forward and plundering that delicious mouth.
Theo whimpered into the kiss and straddled the king's lap without any thought to
how lewd the position itself was. Had they been naked he would have been all but
mounting the man in that single swift movement. As it was, Theoden responded to
the kiss with the same eager hunger that he had come to feel every time the king
so much as looked at him. The time since he last felt the touch seemed like an
eternity though Theo knew it hadn't been that long and that the king surely had
more important things to worry about than indulging in carnal pleasures with a
servant. Theo's hips began shifting without his even realizing it, his body
hungering as much as his mind had been.
Uther held the back of Theoden's head in a possessive grip, while his tongue
lashed every corner of the younger man's sweet mouth. His other hand, splayed
against the small of the servant's back, roamed restlessly until it settled on
Theoden's plump, firm backside. The king had never experienced one with such
intense need, a longing which mirrored his own. His large cock jerked with each
and every wriggle of Theoden's hips. Uther was amazed to realize how easily he
could climax from the contact alone.
Theo was experiencing a similar problem. By the time he realized how eagerly he
was moving, the young man found himself uncomfortably close to climax. He forced
himself to still with an effort. "Sire," he gasped against Uther's mouth, the
word a request and a warning all in one. He had no idea what Uther wanted and
knew that reaching his peak before he even thought of the king's needs would be
utterly unforgivable. /Please... please.../
With one swift movement, Uther rose from the chair with Theoden still wrapped
around his waist and deposited the beautiful servant onto the bed. The king
covered the younger man's body with his own, recapturing that lush, panting
mouth before Theoden ever had a chance to realize what was happening. His hands
tore at the boy's clothing, tossing it aside and groaning as warm, pliant flesh
was felt beneath his fingertips. /Mine... all mine.../ Uther's need to be
comforted was overwhelming as he made short work of Theoden's breeches, pushing
down his own; hard, scorching-hot cocks crashed together, sending a renewed
shiver of desire through the older man's frame.
Theoden gasped at every touch and arched himself as soon as he was in contact
with Uther once more. "Sire... sire..." He was close to lost before they'd even
begun. "What can I do for you, Sire?" It was the first full thought that Theoden
had managed to form since Uther first touched him. /Why does it affect me like
this?/ The woman he'd lain with had gotten him off, yes, but he'd never caught
himself thinking of her when he was alone in bed or aching for her hands on his
body. Ever time Theo was in the same room as Uther he had difficulty not getting
hard, had found himself trying to hide arousal at inopportune moments in the
court as it was.
Uther broke contact long enough to shed the rest of his own clothing, and then
made short work of the remainder of Theoden's. His mouth watered at the feast of
naked flesh before him, and Uther swooped down upon his servant like a bird of
prey, devouring him with more kisses. "Please me," the king gasped against his
mouth, "that's all I ask of you." His large prick-painfully swollen and
twitching with need-brushed against Theoden's thigh. Uther was already reaching
for the boy's legs, wrapping them around his waist again.
"I will... Sire, any way that I can, I will." Theoden raised himself up to leave
his body even more open to Uther's advances. He was already aching to feel the
king inside of him again. "Have me... again and again... please, Sire..." Though
he sounded like a wanton slut, Theo didn't care. His task and his desire was to
please Camelot's king. Nothing more mattered. His life had become something he
never anticipated, and Theo was surprised to find that he was absolutely at home
being Uther's whore.
Uther reveled in the boy's delicious pleading. The decadence of it, the raw need
thickening Theoden's words, drove Camelot's king into a near-frenzy of
unrestrained lust. He kissed that luscious, panting mouth again, thrusting his
tongue inside. Lifting Theoden's slight frame, Uther propped him against the
bed's plush pillows. He never once lost contact with the servant, even as he
reached for a vial of oil to slick his fingers. "This is what I need," he rasped
against Theoden's lips, "this is what your king desires..." A glistening digit
worked its way into the tight heat of the boy's body.
"Yes!" Theoden fairly screamed. He recalled quickly enough that other servants
might be close enough to hear and quieted himself to pant, "Yes, sire...
please?" Just the sensation of the king's finger pushing into his tight ass was
enough to make Thoden's cock swell until he was so hard it almost hurt. "May I
have... have more, please, sire?" He knew that Uther's need was great as well,
but he couldn't help but be greedy when it had been so long since he last had
any attention from the man.
"You can have all of that... and more." Uther swiped his tongue over his bottom
lip, his own excitement building as he felt Theoden's body fairly sucking his
probing digit even further inside. He watched, almost mesmerized, as the
servant's body shook, his sleek stomach heaved, his thighs clenched, and his
delectable backside wiggled all over the bed. Dropping his mouth to Theoden's
chest, Uther began to sensually kiss his way down the length of the boy's torso.
He wrapped his free hand around that beautiful, straining cock while deftly
embedding another finger in Theoden's slippery, snug ass.
"Sire!" Theoden cried out before he could help himself. Mindful of the servants
constantly moving through the halls, he managed to school his next response to a
needy whimper. Uther seemed determined to drive him absolutely out of his mind,
to steal from him every last breath of sanity he possessed. He would happily
give that if it meant that Uther would satisfy the aching needs that the king
had awakened in his young body. No hunger for food could match his need to be
taken by his lord and master.
"Do I really make you feel so good?" Uther whispered teasingly in Theoden's ear.
He knew full well the effect his touch on the comely servant, but the king still
loved to hear it. Twisting his fingers deep inside the boy's steamy, clenching
passage, Uther growled softly as his own raging hard length demanded attention.
He lavished kisses all over Theoden's throat, relishing the way his needy frame
quivered beneath him. "Would you like to taste me again?" His breathing hitched,
"Prepare me? Wet me?"
Theoden fell upon the king almost before the man finished speaking. He knew he
might be pushing his luck by all but shoving the king out of the way, but he
wanted to taste the man's cock. The change in position sadly also left him
bereft of the man's fingers. /The sooner I get him ready, the sooner I will
have even better than that./ Theoden's lips stretched wide to take in the head
of the king's cock. The bitter flavor coated his tongue as he swallowed deeper
and deeper. As he worked the boy thought of how amazing it would feel to have
Uther's thick length doing the exact same thing to his ass. /Soon... soon.../
Uther could not claim to have had many lovers as enthusiastic as Theoden. The
boy's desire was true, as if he simply could not get enough of him. And what
surprised Uther was that he shared Theoden's feelings. Not only was the servant
beautiful, but he was also utterly desirable. His warm, wet mouth devoured his
aching length so perfectly. Uther could do little more than close his eyes,
moan, and enjoy the incredible sensations. Somehow he managed to stretch out and
insinuate his fingers back between the swelling moons of Theoden's luscious ass.
Camelot's sovereign probed him deeply, his own hips bucking uncontrollably.
The boy whimpered, and the needy sound reverberated through the king's dripping
cock. Every time Thoeoden bobbed his head on the length he was rewarded with
another long thread of precum from the king's cock. He would have been happy to
drink the nectar for the rest of the night had he not also been so hungry to
have Uther inside of him. His ass wriggled, and Theo hoped that the movement
somehow communicate at least a portion of the need that he felt to have Uther
pushing inside him, ravaging him all over again.
The more Theoden sucked, the closer Uther was driven toward the edge. His lovely
servant had a natural talent Camelot's sovereign was more than happy to exploit
to its fullest. Near helpless with need, Uther's hips bucked of their own accord
while his fingers continued to stretch and open Theoden's tight ass.
"Unnnggghhh, you are much too good at this," he complimented the boy. Extracting
himself from Theoden, Uther drew those beautiful swollen lips into a torrid
kiss. Panting, "I want you, boy," the king tossed Theoden back down on opulent
bed, and started to press his glistening cock inside of him.
"Have me, Sire!" Theoden had experienced moments during their separation when he
felt shame at becoming such a whore, at being such a willing whore. What sort of
a man wanted nothing more than to be taken? To be fucked and to give pleasure to
his lover? Then Theoden felt Uther pushing inside of him and all doubts died.
Why should he want more than to feel so good and give the king the same sort
of pleasure? Joy was a worthy goal for any man in life. "Everything I am is for
you."
Uther thrilled at hearing those words. Finding one so completely submissive to
his will, wanting nothing more than to please him was rare indeed. He had chosen
well with Theoden. "And you are perfect," the king rasped, burying himself to
the hilt within the boy's impossibly tight ass. Uther's fingers sank into
Theoden's flesh, holding him, embracing him as he shuddered against his
beautiful young body. His thick cock pulsed dangerously as every inch was
caressed by those oh-so-tender walls of lust. Tongue flicking out, he teased
Theoden's mouth, whispering, "Did you miss me? Hmm, tell me... did you?"
"So much! Sire, I have thought of nothing else... nothing but what it would feel
like to be in your arms again," Theoden confessed. Uther's cock dragged over the
bundle of nerves that always made his toes curl, and the boy shuddered. He loved
pleasing the king, but he loved just as much the way the older man pleased him.
Theoden relished the pride in Uther's pale blue eyes whenever he gasped. The man
did it with ease, but he still seemed to wonder at the effect every time.
Theoden gladly gave him cause to enjoy the view, shifting and moaning as the man
filled him again and again.
"Ohhh, I should have sent for you sooner," Uther breathed, clutching at Theoden
as if the younger man might wriggle away. His fingers sank into the servant's
tender flesh, which only seemed to excite Theoden as the king felt him reacting
favorably to his rough touch. "Perhaps," he nipped at the boy's throat, "you
might like to stay here... with me?" It was an impulsive and reckless thought.
But, at that moment, Uther did not care. Turning on his side, he effortlessly
shifted Theoden into the new position without breaking contact.
"Yes! Please, sire... let me stay... please..." Theoden's hips rocked back
against the king's cock to take in every inch that he possibly could. Would the
king really keep him close? Would the man really find a way to explain having a
young servant living in his quarters? Whether Uther followed through on the
suggestion or not, it thrilled Theo to the core to think that the man who had
become the focus of his world wanted him.
Uther was dangerously close to the edge; his dripping length filled Theoden to
the bursting point, and he could literally feel the boy stretching to
accommodate him. It was madness offering to keep Theoden with him, but Uther
couldn't help himself. The beautiful creature writhing against him had gotten
under his skin, and the king simply wanted more and more of him. "Kiss me, touch
me," he ordered gruffly. He wanted Theoden to know he had the freedom to express
his desires.
Theoden shuddered and kissed the king with everything he had. His hands were
free, and he touched the man's hair, the muscular expanse of his back. "Sire,
can I... may I ride you?" Theoden asked in a panting whisper. His voice was
thick. Indeed he could barely talk through the fog of lust. He wanted to lose
himself completely in Uther and to show the king precisely how much he was
desired. Having lived alone since his wife's death, Theoden suspected it had
been some time since the king saw to anything but the basest of his desires.
Surely the king of Camelot deserved far better.
"Yes," hissed Uther, clearly pleased with Theoden's enthusiastic request. When
he has decided to chose a lover, the last thing the King expected was for that
someone to simply lie on their back. Theoden continued to exceed his desires,
and Uther readily gave into the boy's wishes. "Oh, I want to watch you," he
whispered between more ravenous kisses. "Show me..." Groaning softly, Camelot's
sovereign rolled onto his back. He effortlessly managed not to break contact
with Theoden, and his eyes rolled back with pleasure as the boy straddled his
lap.
Theoden sighed, content for a moment simply to sit there and enjoy the feeling
of his tight ass stretching to accommodate more of the of the other man's
beautiful cock. "Oh, Sire... you fill me... so full..." Gasping, he began to
move, lifting himself tentatively up and then sliding back down. The movement
sent a pleasant shiver through his body. The shy movements became bolder as
Theoden began to understand how to shift and move his hips to best drive the
man's thick length against his prostate.
If Uther had been in his right mind, he would have recognized how reckless his
affection for Theoden had become. But, the king was too far gone to care by this
point. His large hands closed on the servant's slender hips, although they were
not as commanding as before. Instead, Uther allowed Theoden to pleasure himself.
The sight of the lovely creature impaling himself on his royal cock. "It's all
for you," he panted out, visibly shuddering with incomparable pleasure.
Theoden groaned and panted as he worked himself on the King's massive cock. He
could think of nothing he wanted more than to spend the rest of his days
enjoying pleasure with Uther. The boy had never thought himself the sort who
would fall so low as to become a whore - and yet now he gave himself willingly
into Uther's keeping with that very thought in mind. He wanted to be used in
whatever way the older man desired, and his hips moved with no thought but to
bring them both to the shattering release they craved.
Uther wasn't sure which got to him more: Theoden's beauty or the servant's easy
submission. Either way, he found the boy utterly intoxicating to the point where
Uther Pendragon simply could not get enough of him. He thrust relentlessly into
Theoden's willing body, and leaned up and kissed him as if both their lives
depended upon it. Between them he could feel that strong young cock twitching
and straining for release. "You want... to come... don't you?" he panted out.
Theoden shuddered. He wanted that more than anything, and the touch of Uther's
hand made him want to do so with all haste possible. "Yes... yes... I want...
ah!" Only barely did Theo keep himself from letting go. The young man's gaze
burned into the king's, and he pleaded, "May I cum, sire? May I ride your cock
until I cum?" In truth Theoden would ride the man until he came and after so
long as the muscles in his legs held him aloft.
"Yes," Uther gave his permission as well as insisted. His gaze locked with
Theoden's, the King had never experienced such an intense, uncontrollable lust.
Both of their bodies tensed and glistened with exertion, while Uther felt his
painfully swollen length expanding to bursting point deep within Theoden's
heated embrace. He released his grip on one of the boy's hips, toying with the
dripping tip of Theoden's beautiful cock with his thumb. Unable to resist the
temptation, he brought his digit to his mouth and licked the nectar.
The sight alone was enough to bring Theoden to the edge with a hearty whimper.
He'd never felt anything so breathlessly wonderful as the pressure of Uther's
cock buried so deeply inside him. The climax was almost enough to make him black
out for a moment, but Theo braced his hands flat against the other man's chest.
The contact kept him steady enough even while his body shuddered with the after
effects of his release.
Uther held off his own release long enough to thoroughly relish the sight of
Theoden's climax. The boy's cock blasted out scorching satisfaction, raining
down and spattering against his skin. "Yes, yes! Come for me!" Near frantic with
lust he urged the boy, all the while thrusting up into Theoden's flaring
channel. Finally, the pleasure became too unbearable and Uther arched and
groaned, spilling his royal seed deep within his beautiful servant.
Theoden almost blacked out from the intensity of his own climax and the
knowledge that he'd managed to drive the king over the edge as well. Shuddering,
Theo couldn't help but lie down against the older man's chest with the king's
softening cock slowly slipping from his well-used ass. "Sire, the things you
do... that we do... it is... nothing has ever made me feel so good." The boy
wanted nothing more than to be taken again and again, to spend all of his days
and nights by Uther's side. As a servant, he knew it was an impossible dream -
but a beautiful one.
Once Uther managed to float down from the height of his climax, he smiled warmly
at the lovely boy and brushed a large hand through Theoden's warm, damp hair. "I
meant what I said," he told the servant in a soft, hoarse voice. "Stay here with
me, with your king." Uther shook his head at his own recklessness, but he could
not bring himself to care. "You have made me lose my senses." He tilted
Theoden's chin up and pressed a kiss to his swollen mouth.
Theoden returned the kiss with sweet reverence. "I would like nothing more,
Sire. Nothing in the world." The young man shivered and pressed himself against
the king. He knew that duty and circumstance and the demands of the court would
separate them much of the time no matter where he stayed, but Theoden was
intoxicated with the idea that Uther desired him so. Someone taking a servant as
a lover was not unheard of, but would the court and the attendants truly allow
it of him, of their king? Theoden prayed that it might be so. "When must you
return to your duties, Sire?" With Arthur away, he knew that Uther carried even
more burdens than usual.
"In the morning," Uther replied drowsily. "I have no intention of leaving this
room till then." Rolling onto his side, the king crushed his comely servant
against his body. He relished the feel, the heat of Theoden, and he brushed his
lips against the boy's hair. It would be difficult to keep Theoden's presence in
his chambers a secret-particularly from Arthur-but, Uther's need overrode his
senses. "You wouldn't mind if your king took advantage of you during the night,
would you?"
Theoden fairly beamed with pleasure at the idea alone. "Of course, sire. I am
yours." He meant it as completely as he could. He would have given the gorgeous
monarch anything at all that he desired. Perhaps Uther meant it. Perhaps he
could truly spend every night curled up next to the man he was so devoted to.
Part of Theoden whispered that it was foolish to be so devoted when he knew so
little about his lover, but a baser part of the boy already recognized Uther as
his mate, his master. There would be no turning back.
"I would gladly do anything for you, Sire," Theoden agreed without the slightest
hesitation. Had it been needed, he would give life or limb for the man. Uther
had shown him things he'd never expected. The young man reached up to stroke the
man's lightly stubbled cheek. "Sire, do you think that anyone will mind my
staying here?" The other servants whispered as it was about the fact that the
king favored him so heavily. If he stopped returning to the slave quarters
altogether, Theoden worried they might talk not only amongst themselves but with
others.
Theoden's question gave Uther pause for thought. "My son for one," he replied
after a moment's contemplation. "Arthur would not understand." /That is an
understatement./ "It would be best if he only know you are my personal
servant." Uther really didn't give a damn what others mike think-he was the
king, and his word was law. But, Arthur would never accept such a thing. His son
had already been far too close to Merlin and, now with Merlin gone, Uther hoped
Arthur would set his sights elsewhere.
"Of course, Sire." That sounded reasonable, and Theoden had no desire to offend
Arthur. Though the prince had rarely given him so much as a second glance, he
wanted to see that relations between them remained at least civil. Theo wanted
to make Uther's life better in every way possible - and that meant doing all
that he could to keep Arthur happy as well as the king. "What about his new
servant, Sire? I have met her often in the kitchens. Perhaps she will prove
distracting?" Morena had never struck him as the sort to seduce anyone, but she
was unquestionably lovely.
"Perhaps..." Uther considered while idly playing his fingers through Theoden's
soft curls. "I will have to learn more about her to be sure. However, anyone
would be an improvement over my son's last servant." He wondered how Sir Robert
was getting along with Merlin. /If that boy does anything to disgrace him.../
The King pushed that thought aside and instead focused his attention back on
Theoden. "What made you think of Arthur's servant? It is not something you
should concern yourself with, but I do appreciate your counsel, pretty one."
Theoden smiled, blushing as the king's gaze focused in on him once more. "Thank
you, Sire. I only thought that if Arthur were happy and content with a lover of
his own, then perhaps he would concern himself less with us." It seemed a simple
enough solution - distract the prince to keep him well out of the way. Besides
that, Arthur would need to find someone eventually to keep the royal line going.
/Not that the king would ever want his son to marry a servant.../ But those
were concerns for Uther and his son. "He should be happy."
"Yes, he should," Uther agreed with a soft sigh. "But, Arthur is notoriously
stubborn and I doubt he will heed my advice." He considered for a further
moment, his fingers now deeply threaded in Theoden's hair. "My son has a habit
of going against anything I might suggest. Pushing him toward this girl will
only make him hostile toward the idea. No, she will have to win him over on her
own."
Theoden nodded his agreement. He'd seen for himself just how opinionated Arthur
could be. When the prince got an idea into his head, it stuck there. If Morena
could get close to him and find a way beneath his skin, then perhaps she would
have a chance to make him truly happy - or at least to distract him from his
broken heart. That Arthur was different since Merlin's disappearance was obvious
enough to anyone who cared to look. "I am sure that all will be well with him,
Sire... and I will see that all is well with you."
Uther's smile was decidedly sensual as he remarked to Theoden, "You are already
more than proficient at seeing to my needs." He reached around and fondled the
boy's healthy backside, insinuating a royal finger between his cheeks and
teasing Theoden's opening, which weept seed against his touch. "I shall have to
be a bit more careful," he added with mock-seriousness. "We wouldn't want you
too sore to carry out your duties."
Theoden shivered at the touch and felt a new surge of desire sing through him.
"Sire, I would let nothing stand between me and fulfilling your needs. Nothing
in the world." His eyes sparkled with merriment at the very idea of the things
that Uther might ask of him and do to him. A glance at the window revealed that
the hour was late indeed. Reluctantly he ventured, "You should rest, Sire. The
whole of the kingdom will be looking to you as always." Having never really seen
the man's callousness or cruelty, Theoden assumed that Uther was precisely the
sort of magnanimous, kind man that his mother always told him that man was.
Uther smiled warmly, genuinely touched by the boy's consideration. "You make it
very, very difficult to think of anything beyond desire," he admitted, his
fingers still toying with Theoden's most intimate place. "It is a strange
feeling to lose one so completely. I never thought it was possible to ever do so
again." The King tipped Theoden's chin up and placed a chaste kiss to that
beautiful swollen mouth. "Rest is what I need if I am to properly ravish you
again tomorrow."
Theoden was asleep and curled up tightly against his king when a hard pounding
sounded at the door. He started up, uncertain of what he should do. No servant
would ever enter the king's chambers without Uther's permission, but Theoden
didn't want to cause the king any distress.
"Sire!" a deep voice called from outside the door. "There is news from one of
the provinces that is of great importance. May I enter?"
Uther stirred, frowning as the pleasant feeling of being wrapped tightly around
Theoden's warm, slender body segued into one of irritation. His eyes cracked
open and he disentangled himself from Theoden, groaning as he threw off the
covers and reached for a dressing gown. "Wait here," he told his lover, closing
the draperies surrounding the royal bed. Then, Uther crossed over to answer the
door.
"Sire." The knight bowed low, mindful of the intrusion and Uther's famously bad
temper. In a soft, firm tone, he explained, "Sire, there are reports that magic
was used in a village in the kingdom. I would not have woken you, but two men
were harmed, and it seems that the suspect was... was your son's former servant,
Sire. Merlin. His whereabouts are unknown, and no one has found Sir Robert yet.
They were together when the incident took place, but afterward it seems that two
of the men involved in the attack took the boy with them."
All of the color drained out of Uther's face. He gaped at the knight relaying
the information for the longest time as realization settled in. "I want that boy
found! I don't care how you do it, or by what means." Uther was furious. A magic
user in his kingdom, his very household... and right under his very nose. "But,
do not let the prince know any of this-understood?"
"Of course, sire. It will be taken care of. Shall we... do you want us to seek
out Sir Robert as well?" Perhaps the older man would even have some idea of
where Merlin was. The knight understood easily why the king was so upset. Some
of them had ever suspected that the prince's foolish servant might be more than
just someone who polished the heir's armor. It would only hurt Arthur to know he
had been thus deceived, and Arthur seemed despondent already.
In his rage Uther had almost forgotten about his dear friend. "Yes, discover his
whereabouts and help him all you can." Then, half to himself, the king added,
"If Robert discovered the truth, then that wretched boy may have harmed him."
Uther glanced back at the knight, catching his gaze. "Dismissed! Report back as
soon as you know anything."
"Of course, sire." Henry bowed low and then made his way to the stables. He had
to be off at once. Uther was not a man who tolerated anyone performing at less
than their best.
From the bed, Theo finally called out softly, "Is everything alright, Sire?"
He'd been too far away to hear the hushed conversation, but Uther's tense tone
worried him. He didn't want anything to hurt the king, and the atmosphere in the
castle had often been strange since Arthur's servant disappeared.
Uther returned to the bed, drawing back the draperies surrounding it and sinking
down on the edge of the mattress. Theoden's voice broke through his dark mood,
and his expression softened as he glanced at the concerned boy. "I think I would
go mad if you weren't here," Uther confessed, reaching out to caress Theoden's
cheek. "Things could not be more worse. I have just learned that we have had a
sorcerer living right under our noses all this time."
Theoden's eyes widened almost comically. "Here? In the castle?" He was amazed
that anyone could hide themselves so well. Uther was no friend of those who
clung foolishly to the old ways. They were dangerous. Questions tumbled through
his mind so quickly that only a few managed to find their way to his lips. "Who
has hidden themselves among us? Have they been caught?" It seemed impossible to
imagine that anyone could escape the knights that guarded their city and kingdom
so vigilantly.
Uther was loathe to even speak the boy's name, but he turned to Theoden and
hissed it out between gritted teeth, "Merlin, my son's idiot servant." The king
shook his head, adding bitterly, "Idiot? He made fools of us all!" Uther
literally shook with rage, and he clenched and unclenched his fists
spasmodically. "He will not elude us for long-no matter what tricks he decides
to use."
Theoden's eyes went wide. Though he hadn't been close to Merlin, there had never
been anything about the dark-haired young man that made him think he could be
involved in such a thing. "Oh, sire..." Reaching out, he clasped one of Uther's
tensed hands and stroked it gently. "It will be made right. I'm sure of it."
With all the freedoms that Uther assured his people, it was ridiculous to think
that someone would spit in the face of holding a position in his very court by
practicing the old ways. "I'll be here with you and... whatever I can do..."